Beware cleavers recovery in winter wheat crops

UK - May 31, 2006

Cleavers are recovering from early herbicide treatments and late spring germinating cleavers plants are more evident than usual.  Advisors are recommending cereal crops be checked for cleavers now as they may have been missed on an earlier walk through.   

“Atlantis has provided a lower level of cleavers control than in previous years, with some fields showing only 50% control,” says Farmacy’s John Freeman.  

He normally expects to spray cleavers after Atlantis, but this year the weed’s recovery is even higher than usual, and more fields need to be sprayed.  

“Unless crops are inspected carefully it’s easy to miss these late recovering cleavers, until they appear above the crop.  Wait until stunted cleavers show active new growth and spring germinators emerge then apply Starane XL (fluroxypyr + florasulam) in mixtures with T2 fungicides,” advises Mr Freeman.  

Spring germinating cleavers, after an early Atlantis treatment, are not uncommon.  Mr Freeman believes more are germinating than usual as cold weather in March and April broke dormancy and recent wet weather has encouraged growth.  To avoid late cleavers recovery in future seasons he advises growers tank-mix Starane XL with Atlantis applications. 

Andrew Fisher of Yorkshire Arable Advice has already used Starane XL on over 3,000 hectares of cereals across County Durham and North Yorkshire.  He has steadily used more year by year as his confidence in the product has grown. 

“I use Starane XL mainly for cleavers control because of the complete kill normally achieved.  But it also controls weeds leftover from autumn herbicide programmes such as volunteer rape or spring germinating groundsel, mayweed and field bindweed.  And the suppression of low levels of field pansy, a common problem in the area, is a great advantage,” says Mr Fisher. 

He believes it provides more reliable cleavers control over its competitors, including Starane 2, because of its activity over a range of temperatures.  “Starane XL is also very safe to use in complex tank mixes, a regular requirement when large areas need to be sprayed in a hurry, especially if growers are behind due to wet and windy weather.   

“The recent approval for use in cereals up to GS45 means that I shall use it in preference to Starane 2 to clean up late emerging cleavers,” says Mr Fisher. 

Mr Freeman uses Starane XL to control volunteer sugar beet and weed beet bolters.  “Weed beet is a serious problem in my Lincolnshire area and needs to be controlled in the rotation.  It tends to have protracted late spring germination so Starane XL’s newly approved later application rate up to GS45 fits very well.” 

Starane XL features in many of Mr Freeman and Mr Fisher’s spring cereals herbicide mixes for growers looking for alternatives to traditional spring hormone herbicides, such as mecoprop-p, following concerns over pesticide run-off into watercourses. 

“In some cases the cleavers population also demands a more robust herbicide for reliable control.  Starane XL is a good alternative plus it is safer on soft and rapidly growing crops,” says Mr Freeman.